Railroad-car coupling



' 0. LA. HOPKINS.

Car .Coupling.

Patented Aug. 1, 1854.

DAVID A. HOPKINS, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

RAILROAD-CAR COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,428, dated August 1, 1854.

i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID A. HOPKINS, of Elmira, in the county of Chemung and State of New York, have invented a new and Imin a horizontal or in incllned positlons, as

proved DrawHead and Buffer for Railroad-Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the draw-head and bufler. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the drawhead, detached. This view is designed to show the construction of the draw-head.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the draw-head.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a. block, which holds the link in the desired positions.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, in each of the figures.

The nature of. my invention consists in having the draw head formed with a wide or flaringmouth and narrow neck, and using in connection therewith a block of peculiar construction, whereby the link may be held will be hereafter shown.

Toenable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, in Figs. 1, and 3, represents the crosspiece, at the end of the car bed; and, B, is a rectangular metal plate which is secured to the front of the crosspiece by screws, (a).

The plate, B, is provided with a flange, (b), which projects outward a-suitable distance from the plate, as shown in Fig. 1. A square recess is made through the center of the plate, and also through the crosspiece, A, for the shank, G, of the draw-head, to pass through.

Within the flange, (b), there is placed india-rubber, (c), or any other suitable elastic material, as seen in Fig. 1.. This indiarubber or other elastic material extends all around within the flange, (b), and encompasses a rectangular box, D, which fits within the square recess at the center of the plate, B, as seen in Fig. 1. The box, D, is provided with a flange, (d), which projects outward at right angles from the box and nearly reaches the edges of the flange, (b)

the said flange, (6), covering the outer surface of the india-rubber or other elastic material, (a).

a The box, D, is prevented from being Wrought iron plat-es,

the link, (it).

drawn out of the recess in the plate, by means of small screws, (6), (e), theheads of which fit in oblong recesses, f), in the crosspiece at the top and bottom of the larger square recess as shown in Fig. 1.

E, is the draw-head, which is formed are rectangular metal box, having an oblong Opening or recess, (g), (seen in Fig. 3,)

its front surface for the link, (it), to pass through. The opening or recess, (g), has its outer edges beveled or rounded so as to form a flaring mouth. This will be understood by referring to Fig. 1.

G, is the shank of thedrawhead; said shank passing through the center of the plate, B, and through the crosspiece,=A, as

before stated. The shank is formed of two which are fitted to the draw-head in the fol lowing manner: Onthe end of each plate,

there is a shoulder, (j), seen in Fig. 2, hav-' .ing its inner surface rounded and its outer surface flat, or at right angles with. the plate;

The outer surface of the shoulder, (j), bears against the inner surface of the flaring or (i), the ends of rounded mouth of the opening or recess,

Both plates are constructed preciselyalike; the ends of the plates beyond the shoulders pass through slots, (70), (k), in the front surface of the draw-head, leaving a shoulder, (n), at the back of the draw-head. The slots, (7c), (70), are beveled from theirinner to thelr outer edges, as shown in Fig. 2; and

the ends of the plates are hammered until they fill the slots forming a dovetail, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

F, in Figs. 1, and 4, is a block which slides or works between the twoplates, (2'), (2'), back of the" draw-head.

G, in Fig. 1, is a rod, which passes from the back of the block into a beam, (Z), se cured between the two plates, (i).

H, is a spiral spring, within the beam, (Z), l

and encompassing the rod, G.

The out-er or face side of the block, F, is of concave form, as shown in Fig. 4, and has grooves cut in it, for the purpose of holding the link, (it), either in a horizontal or inclined posit-ions, in order to connect cars having platforms or beds of different heights, see Fig. 1, in which the inclinedpositions of the link is shown by dotted lines. l

I, is thepin or bolt, which passesthrough This bolt passes vertically through the draw-head at the back part of the shoulders, of the plates, 4 2' And when the bolt is raised or elevated, the

they are not so liable to be broken.

flaring mouthed recess or opening, (9),

pled together.

affords a wide range or scope for the link of an adjoining car toenter, and also afl'ords all necessary play, when the cars are con- By securing the plates,

to the head, E, as shown, the said plates are secured permanent-1y together; the head may be made either of wrought or cast iron, as may be desired; but the plates, must, in all cases, be made ofwrought iron.

When the head, E, is struck by an opposing car, the shoulders, (n), at the back of the drawhead, bears against the flange, (d) and the flange (al bears against the india-rubber, (0),:oi other elastic material within the flange, (b), on the plate, 13.

Thus a yielding resistance is offered to the opposing force, and all violent concussions are avoided;

When the bolt, I, is elevated, as shown by the red lines in Fig. 1, the link of an adjoining car will connect itself by forcing back'th-e block F; the bolt dropping downward through the link.

I do not claim the application of the spiral spring, H, to the block, F; for spring blocks have been previouslyvused; neither do I claim the employment or use of an india-rubber spring for buffers, for that has been used in various ways. claim the buffer nor any peculiar arrangement thereof, nor the draw head, irrespective of the peculiar form of the mouth as herein shown. But

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is v I claim having the draw head formed with a. wide or flaring month and narrow neck, as herein shown, and using in connection therewith, a block F, the front surface of which is of circular concave form with recesses (m), across it, whereby the links may be held in a horizontal or in inclined positions, as herein shown and clescribed.

DAVID A. HOPKINS.

WVitnesses:

E. C. PoLnAMUs, Ii. J. COHEN.

Neither do I, 

